PXC 40 Results:Tanaka Retains Hist Title, Chope stopped Takumi in the 3rd, Reyes Scored A Stunning Flying Knee K.O

(PXC Champ Poses After His PXC 37 Win over Pitpitunge) Photo by PXC

Undefeated Japanese PXC bantamweight champion Michinori Tanaka has successfully defended his title last night against Guam’s Kyle Aguon by way of Unanimous Decision win at PXC 40.

UOG Field House in Guam was packed last night as PXC 40 showcased a very explosive night of fights.

The PXC World Bantamweight Champion, Tanaka, once again, showed why he is the champion by displaying his much-improved MMA game against Aguon.

Both fighters were very cautious in the first couple of minutes of the opening round. Both warriors are waiting for each other to make a mistake. Few exchanges were initiated by both men in the later minutes, but it was the Japanese fighter who showed his speed against the Guamanian fighter. Tanaka scored an incredible throw and controlled Aguon until the end of the first round.

Tanaka and Aguon’s very looks cautious in the second round of their PXC 40 fight – Photo by 671mma.com

Tanaka also exhibited his much-improved standu-up game last night. He threw several lethal high kicks to distract Aguon. His movement is fantastic. He always circles to the right to avoid Aguon’s power. The champion’s takedown has been his bread and butter ever since and he used it again last night to negate Aguon’s striking.

Aguon scored a couple of takedowns but every time he takes the champion down, Tanaka always gets up quicklt to his knees.

The crowd at UOG Fieldhouse went nuts when Aguon attempted an armbar in the third round. But the champion was so calm and relaxed during the situation and managed to get out of it.

There were a certain moments in third round that Aguon was very aggressive stalking Tanaka with punches and kicks, but then again, Tanaka’s movement and speed has been the biggest factor of the night.  Tanaka was able to get out of Aguon’s range that gave a lof problem to the Guamanian fighter.

Tanaka’s power is undeniable. He stopped a lot of Aguon’s takedown attempts. We all know that Aguon is a very strong wrestler, but he has no answers for Tanaka’s superb grappling abilities.

Tanaka keeps his pace and looks fresher against Aguon heading to the fourth round. Tanaka’s dominance is unbelievable; he almost takes Aguon down at will, but props to Aguon for hanging in there. The champ’s takedown attempts are relentless; he is a bully inside the Terror Dome that’s for sure.

Aguon had his moment in the last minute of the fourth round, taking the champion down and puts himself inside of Tanaka’s half guard and later on to full mount. But the champion was so quick and very explosive that he was able to reverse the situation in the end of the round.

The challenger was aware tha he was behind on points. That is why he was the aggressor in the final round, stalking the champion, throwing deadly body kicks and punches. But just when Aguon got his momentum going, the champion shoots in for a single leg takedown and once again, took Aguon down and stopped his momentum. The fight ended with Tanaka defending Aguon’s takedown attempt. It was a very disappointing round for the challenger.

Tanaka won by way of a Unanimous Victory and successfully defended his title for the first time. Though he got the win, the Japanese champion admitted during the post fight interview that he is not happy with his performance and will train harder to get better.

Tanaka improves his record to 9-0, while Aguon dropped to 6-4.

Meanwhile, the tallest featherweight fighter in the world made a successful PXC debut last night as Will “The Kill” Chope defeated a much experienced fighter in Takumi Nakayama in the third round via 3^rd TKO stoppage.

Photo by 671mma.com

The Kill wasted no time and came out from his corner guns blazing, using his height and reach advantage over Nakayama, he connected several punches to maintain his range against the Japanese veteran. In the later minutes of the first round, Nakayama took Chope down and caught him in a deep D’arce choke, but Chope escaped.

Nakayama came out aggressive in the second round, tagging Chope with several hard punches. But the American kept his composure and recovered.

In the third round, Chope finally finished his opponent and got him hurt with his ground and pound. Chope stopped Nakayama in the third made his PXC debut a successful and very impressive one.

Kyle “Boom” Reyes scored a mind-boggling flying knee KO against Taekyun Kim of South Korea in the very first round. Reyes redeemed himself from his UD loss in the hands of Rolando Dy at PXC 39 in the Philippines.

Watch PXC 40 Replay Here:

http://new.livestream.com/accounts/1594039/events/2444543

Here are the results of PXC 40 that went down last night in Guam:

 Michinori Tanaka def. Kyle Aguon via UD

Patricia Vidonic def. Mey Yamaguchi via Split Decision

Kyle Reyes def. Tae Kyun Kim via KO (flying knee)

Will Chope def. Takumi Nakayama via 3rd Rd. TKO (Punches)

Alvin Cacdac def. Trevin Jones via 2nd Rd. Submission (Side choke)

Chuji Kato def. Tyrone Jones via UD

Mklane Alfred def. Josh Duenas by UD

Roman Alvarez def. Jay Taijeron via 1st Rd. K.O (head kick)

PXC 40: “He has never fought someone like me before, my style will give him a lot of problems.” – Will Chope to Nakayama

Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC) has been signing several top fighters in Asian MMA recently. These fighters are Keita “K-Taro” Nakamura (26-5-2), Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi (11-5-1), Patricia “Little” Vidonic (8-6), BJ Penn MMA’s Shane “Suga” Nelson (15-7), and the former URCC Featherweight Champion Will “The Kill” Chope (18-5).

The Guam-based MMA promotion has been the hottest promotion in the Philippines as they have been very successful in their past events in Manila, drawing thousands of fight fans to watch their shows. The fans can expect a lot more exciting and explosive fighters coming in as PXC will keep on signing the most exciting fighters in the region today.

One of the most popular names in Asian MMA has joined PXC as the world’s tallest featherweight fighter, Will “The Kill” Chope brings his talent inside the “Terror Dome”.

“My goal is to get into the UFC. The URCC is not the road that can take me there at this point. The Pacific Xtreme Combat is a proven route that other fighters have used to get there and it will get me there as well. So this is what I am doing, I will fight for the PXC win and wait for that call.”

Chope connects a razor sharp elbow against Jerson Estoro at URCC 20 – Photo by Hochi Abaya

Standing at 6 feet 4 inches, Chope is no doubt, the tallest guy in the PXC 145 lbs. division. His size has always been his biggest advantage over his past opponents, whether be it on the feet or ground. He can easily set up his offense by throwing jab to get rid of his opponents’ aggressive styles. When it comes to the ground, Chope is a very dangerous guy as he has been on a tear by winning 10 of his last 13 fights via submission (guillotine choke).  He has a good guard and he always look to submit his opponents – that makes him one of the most exciting fighters in Asia today.

Chope started his MMA career at the age of 20. Though he struggled in the first stages of his fighting career, he never gave up; instead, those losses made him more fired up to train in the gym to elevate his game into a whole new level.

“The PXC has the best FW division out of any organization in Asia. That is a fact. People have accused me of taking easy fights and not fighting high level competition. No one can say that now and I will show everyone in the world I am one of the best fighters, not just one of the best in Asia but one of the best in the world.”

Chope has been considered as the busiest fighter in Asia because in the past couple of years, his schedule has been a tight one that every two months he has an upcoming MMA, kickboxing or muay thai fight. In 2011, he fought six times and in 2012, seven. This kid is a monster and a true lover of the sport.

Chope has a notable wins over some of the toughest guys in the region, including his submission wins over Rex De lara, Angelito Manguray and Andrew Benibe. He is also the former URCC Featherweight Champion.

“The Kill” is currently riding an amazing 13-fight win skid and most of those wins are coming by way of either TKO or submission. Chope is definitely on a roll right now and he has intentions on slowing down even just a bit.

In the last PXC event in Pasig City, Philippines, Chope cornered one of his closest friends in the fight business, Mark “Mugen” Striegl. It was a tough night for Striegl and feeling was identical for Chope as he has seen his long-time training partner getting submitted by the South Korean fighter, which gave him the drive to do well in the PXC and looks to challenge Kim for his title in the future.

Photo by Zike Sugawara for MMA Orient

“I was there cage side in Mark’s corner. Mark is one of my best friends, hell he’s my brother and also my idol. So to watch that fight was hard. But at the same time after that fight ended it sparked a fire inside me I haven’t felt in a long time. I want to work my way up the PXC ladder and one day challenge Kim for his title.”

Chope was immediately given a tough task by the PXC officials as they matched him against the Pancrase champion and one of the toughest Japanese fighters in the PXC today, Takumi “Da Japanese Ironman” Nakayama (18-13-6-1).

Chope versus Nakayama is scheduled on the 25^th of October in Guam as one of the main card fights of PXC 40. The said event will feature the first-ever title defense of the newly-crowned PXC bantamweight champion, Michinori Tanaka, against one of Guam’s toughest bantamweights, Kyle Aguon.

“Nakayama first thought comes to my mind is he is definitely a seasoned veteran. A lot of fights and been in the MMA Game for over a decade. But out of all the men he has ever faced I can say on thing with confidence. He has never fought someone like me before, and I believe my fight style will give him a lot of problems in the cage.”

“I will be headed to Phuket Top Team next week to finish the last 4 weeks of my fight camp. PTT is one of the best gyms in the world so I want to be training with the best to prepare for Nakayama.” Chope added.

Chope is no doubt, one of the most promising fighters in Asia today. He looks to stay impressive and exciting as he is ready to make his PXC debut on October 25th versus Nakayama. His family and fans are two of the most important factors of his success today and he wants to thank all of them for their undying support.

“Just want to thank the fans for all their love and support. And also want to thanks my sponsors Phuket Pro Nutrition, Vicious Cirlce, and Kombat Mouthguards for their ongoing support of my career.”

Visit www.pxc.com.ph for more info.

PRO Fighting MMA 8 Is Set On August 4th In Taipei

On August 4th, at the LUXY Nightclub, Taipei, Taiwan, some of the best up and coming fighters and well-known fighters in Asia will face each other inside Taiwan’s biggest MMA promotion.

PRO Fighting MMA 8 is loaded with a lot of exciting match-ups that will surely entertain a lot of fight fans.

Here’s PRO MMA Fighting 8 fight card:

1) 63kg catchweight: Daniel Gray (USA) (Tough MMA) vs. Tom Ni (Taiwan) (Garcia Fight Team)

2) 84kg–Zheng Ming Kui (Taiwan- Tough MMA) vs. Markus Lewis (USA)

3) 77kg—Turabi Camkiran (Turkey) (Taiwan BJJ Academy) vs. TBA?

4) 70kg–Eliot Corley (USA) (tough MMA) vs. Jong Hun Kim (Korea–MMA Story)

5) 61kg–Ho Jun Kim (Team Posse -Korea) vs. Kaiwhare Kara France (New Zealand– Tiger Muay Thai)

6) 66kg– Yi Sak Kim (Korea) vs Will Chope (- Team Buffet/MuayFit)

7) 77kg– Kristoffer Persson (Sweden–Legacy Gym) vs Jeff Huang (Taiwan–Tiger MMA / Taiwan BJJ)

8) 70kg–Seok Mo Kim (Korea–Team Force) vs Gokhan Turkyilmaz (Australia–Tiger Muay Thai)

9) Dae Sung Park (Team Posse Korea) vs Matt Te Paa (Tiger Muay Thai)

10) 66kg–Kim Sang Kuk (korea) vs Rocky Lee (Taiwan BJJ/ Garcia Fight Team)

Will Chope: ” I know winning this fight would make me the real no. 1 contender. I just pray the URCC thinks the same way I do.”

The concept of fighting in competition sports revolves around the idea of a test of skills between two athletes wanting to prove their superiority over one another. Many fighters in mixed marital arts carry with them their own narrative that is told through their fearless performances in the cage.

Some fight for fame while some fight for the love of competing. Nevertheless, whatever purpose they carry with them is for the greater good of bettering one’s self toward obtaining an ultimate goal that consumes their core.

Rising prospect, Will “The Kill” Chope is a fighter that has no uncertainty about his abilities to reach the top in MMA. Looking inside his very being, the combatant steps into the flames of battle for the pure aim of attaining glory and acquisition of rewards this sport has to offer.

Chope will be making his fifth appearance in URCC against Rex De Lara tonight in Bacolod. “The Kill” looks for an impressive win over the Filipino De Lara and hopes that URCC will give him a shot at Ricardo Sapno’s title.

6’4 Chope vs. 5’7 De Lara during URCC Bacolod Brawl weigh ins.

MMA Orient: You’re fighting tonight for the fifth time in the Philippines’ longest running MMA show against a very game opponent. Tell us how you feel right now.

Will Chope:

Feeling really awesome to be back in the Philippines, to win this fight is so important to me right now, so much is on the line. Just very pumped!

MMA Orient: You’re on a tear right now with an impressive 7 fight win straek and you’re 4-0 inside the URCC ring. Do you think a win over De Lara will make you the no. 1 contender for Sapno’s title?

Will Chope:

I know winning this fight would make me the real no. 1 contender. I just pray the URCC thinks the same way I do.

MMA Orient: You’ll be fighting in your opponent’s backyard. Did that gave you more pressure going to this fight?

Will Chope:

I am a white westerner that has been living and fighting in Asia nearly my whole career, (laughs) I am always in my opponent’s backyard or hometown. It makes me more motivated to perform my best and win over the crowds love every fight. So that is what I will continue to try to do.

MMA Orient: We are almost 8 hours away from URCC Bacolod Brawl, what goes through your mind hours before your fight?

Will Chope:

Just resting and relaxing. I don’t get nervous or anxious until I get to the venue. When at the venue I know that is when I will get quiet and not talk to anyone and just focus on the fight and beating my opponent.

MMA Orient: What do you think will be your advantage over De Lara aside from your massive height and reach?

Will Chope:

Experience for sure. This is my 41^st professional fight if you combine my MMA, boxing, muay thai, K1 and Sanda fights together. He has only 3 MMA fights in his whole career, this is my 9^th MMA fight this year. So definitely I think that is my biggest avantage.

MMA Orient: What camp did you trained with in preparation for this fight?

Will Chope:

I started out at Phuket Top Team then went to Shanghai for 1 month and fought 2 K1 fights and 1 Sanda fight. While in China, I trained at Fighters Unite Shanghai. All in all was great camps the fights definitely helped improve my stand up game more.

MMA Orient: I know your focus right now is beating De Lara. You’ve been around in Asia fighting and beating guys and it seems that you have no plans on taking a short vacation from it. Do you have an up coming fights after this one?

Will Chope:

Yeah, next weekend, October 26^th, I have another K1 fight in China, I wish I could stay in Bacolod a couple more days but due to this fight, got to go fly back right away.

MMA Orient: You are really the busiest fighter I’ve ever seen. Any finals words for De lara and for your fans?

Will Chope:

For De Lara, I just expect a fun fight. For all my fans, I love all you guys, and will continue to stay busy this year. Hope to give you all 10 more fights before New Years. Bakbakan na!

PRO FC 7 TV Commercial

PRO FC 7 Full Fight Card

Hagan Cooper(New Zealand) 2-2 vs Cheng Ming Quay(Taiwan) 1-1
Wu Dong Xing(Taiwan) 3-3-1 vs Hanz Olsen(USA) 5-4-1nc
Nick LeConte(USA) 1-1 vs Brad Terrey(Austrailia) 3-0
JJ Ambrose(USA) 17-4 vs Dong Sun Choi(South Korea) 6-4
Jeff Huang(Taiwan) 0-0 Debut vs Sunil Raj(Malaysia) 2-1
Zhang Zheng Jie(Taiwan) 0-1 vs Stone Shih(Taiwan) 0-1
Will Chope(Baguio) 11-5 vs Dae Myung Kim(South Korea) 1-2
Florian Garel(France) 1-1 vs Rocky Lio(Taiwan) 0-0 debut
Daniel Gray(USA) 0-1 vs Jung Won Lee(South Korea) 0-2
Seok Mo Kim(South Korea) vs Isamu Himura(USA) 3-6-1

URCC 21 Results: Mann decisions Sarenas, Doliguez scored his second win, Chope calls out Sapno after submitting Manguray

Photo by: Hybrid Yaw Yan Headquarters

Universal Reality Combat Championship showed once again why they are the longest and biggest MMA promotion in the Philippines.

Most of the fights at URCC 21: WARPATH ended in either a submission or TKO. The atmosphere at the SMX Convention Center was unbelievable as the crowd once again, played a big role in the very successful URCC 21.

In the main event, Nicholas Mann proved to us that size advantage can really help you get the win. The Australian born fighter looked very sharp against Sarenas, showing his speed, power and accuracy over the smaller Filipino fighter. Erwin Tagle, a close friend and trainer of Sarenas told us that his fighter was quite distracted by a foot injury he sustained during practice, “Sarenas did not pursue to take Mann down because every time Sarenas attempts for a take down, he is feeling the pain in his foot. He can’t change levels that’s why Sarenas rarely shoots in for takedown.”

In my opinion, it was an awesome fight. Kudos to both guys who agreed to take this fight and showed us a very exciting contest.

In the co-main event, Doliguez made a statement that he really deserved a title shot against the current URCC pinweight king, Roy “The Punisher” Docyogen, by beating a very versatile fighter in Alvin Ramirez.

Doliguez displayed his boxing prowess in the first minutes of the fight, throwing heavy body shots and uppercuts to the 22-year-old Ramirez. Doliguez became more dangerous when he started connecting heavy leg kicks to the much younger fighter.

There are few times where Ramirez scored some good take downs, but Doliguez backs up easily. The 27-year-old Doliguez showed that he is really working hard to improve his grappling game.

We had the chance to talk to Doliguez hours before his fight with Ramirez and he told us that he will going to throw not only heavy punches, but also more heavier and stronger kicks, “You will see me throwing a lot of heavy kicks and punces later, I’m very confident that I will win this fight, I am the more stronger and more athletic than Ramirez, after this fight, I am hoping to fight Docyogen for the title. I know I have all the tools to beat him.” added Doliguez.

I am really impressed with Doliguez’ perfomance last Saturday, he looked very sharp, dangerous and extremely huge. I think Doliguez is ready for a title shot. I mean, his fighting style against Docyogen’s is a good recipe for an insane pinweight championship contest. If that fight happens, it will surely be an unforgettable night of fast-paced, bone-breaking, heart-stopping mixed martial arts fight!

Speaking of an unforgettable fight, Will “The Kill” Chope booked his arguably most memorable win to date against the ever-dangerous Angelito “The Saint” Manguray. The Kill improved his mma record to  10-5 (wins-losses) and recorded his 5th straight win in  just 4 months.

The 22-year-old Chope came out very aggressive against the 45-year-old Manguray in the early seconds of the first round, utilizing his massive reach advantage to top Manguray.

After finishing Manguray via rear naked choke, Chope calls out the current URCC featherweight champion, Ricardo Sapno. Let’s see if URCC will give him a title shot, which I think he really deserve.

Here are the fight results of URCC 21: WARPATH

Nicholas Mann def. Froilan Sarenas via unanimous decision

Roy Doliguez def. Alvin Ramirez via unanimous decision

Jerson Estoro def. Reysaldo Transmonte via unanimous decision

Will Choe def. Angelito Manguray via 1st round submission (RNC)

Mark Striegl def. Alcer Lozada via 1st round submission (RNC)

Jonathan Sumogat def. Mark Joseph Abrillo via 1st round submission (RNC)

Miguel Alo def. Mario Sismundo via 2nd round submission (Armbar)

Rasel Inion def. Mark Dialogo via 1st round submission (Armbar)

Isaac Tuling def. Charles de Tomas via 2nd round TKO (punches)

Adam Cacay def. Fred Lim via 2nd round submission (Armbar)

Check out URCCMMA.COM for more info.

Follow me on Twitter:@zikeyorient

URCC 21: Featherweight phenom, Mark Striegl looks to stay unbeaten against Alcer Lozada

Deep water is anywhere on the ground with Team Buffet’s Mark Striegl, who is arguably one of the best jiu-jitsu practictioners in all of Asian MMA. Striegl’s 9 victories, 7 have come by way of submission, and 2 by decisions.

Fresh from his DARE win over Marko Huusansaari via second round submission victory last month, Fil-Am mixed martial arts fighter, Mark “Mugen” Striegl is up for another challenge against a former lightweight title contender, Alcer Lozada at URCC 21: WARPATH on April 28th.

Mugen steps in to replace Andrew Benibe, the original opponent of Lozada, who got injured during his training. Benibe confirmed the injury via his Facebook account.

A bad cut on Benibe's right eyebrow forced him to withdraw from his scheduled fight against Lozada.

With an impressive record of 9-0, Striegl is no doubt, one of the best featherweight fighters in Asia and possibly the next Filipino-American fighter to be signed by the biggest mixed martial arts promotions in the world, the UFC.

Know more about Mark “Mugen” Striegl’s life by reading his biography:

Mark “Mugen” Martinez Striegl (9-0) is a half Filipino-half American professional mixed martial artist born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. Mark is also a co-promoter of Gods Fighting Championship and a member of Team Buffet.

Mark’s father is originally from New York and his mother is from Calapan City in the Philippines.

His older brother Frank played a considerable role in sparking his interest in combat sports. Frank wrestled throughout high school and in college, dabbled in Tae Kwon Do and Jiu Jitsu, mixing the disciplines and working on techniques with Mark. Mark in turn decided to wrestle in high school, finishing with a career record of 77-1 and his sights set on MMA.

Growing up in Tokyo during of the glory days of Pride Fighting Championship and K-1, Mark became a huge fan of fight sport. On a whim after graduating high school he joined a nearby dojo, “Wajutsu Keisyukai Gods,” which he currently still calls home.

Mark’s motivation in taking the leap was to “see how tough he was,” ultimately testing the waters and seeing if he could hang with some of Japan’s best. After his first practice, he was immediately hooked and from there entered Tokyo amateur competitions regularly.

Mark attended college in San Diego and continued his training at Victory MMA. Travelling between Tokyo and San Diego, Mark trained regularly at both gyms, Victory and WK Gods.

Mark turned pro in San Diego in 2009, winning his debut match. He has since gone 9-0, having competed and eaten at several buffets in Taipei, Baguio, Saipan, Macau and Thailand.

According to Mark, one of his most memorable fights was with the URCC in Baguio City, Philippines in February 2011. While he had spent many summers in Mindoro and Manila, it was Mark’s first time in Baguio.

MMAOrient interview with fast-rising MMA featherweight phenom, Mark “Mugen” Striegl.

MMAOrient: Mark, thanks for taking the interview a week before URCC 21: WARPATH. You’re taking this one on short notice, right? How’s life aside from this fight?

Striegl:

Life is good! Yes, I’m taking this fight on short notice, about 2 weeks.

MMAOrient: What do you do when you’re not competing?

Striegl:

Training and fighting take up a lot of energy. So when I’m not competing I like to kick back, watch movies, play games, and eat good food. You could call it “lounge sport.”

MMAOrient: Since you’ve entered the sport, what’s been your proudest accomplishment so far? What about your biggest challenge?

Striegl:

That’s hard to answer. I don’t think I can name a specific accomplishment or challenge.

MMAOrient: What team/coach are you training under and what’s the atmosphere like where you train?

Striegl:

I’m training with the Muayfit Elite Fight Team in Kuala Lumpur right now. There are so many beasts at this gym. They’re not only great training partners, but a great bunch of guys too. Currently Team Buffet has anchored down in Kuala Lumpur, but damn we miss Baguio!

MMAOrient: How would you describe your strong points as a fighter?

Striegl:

With a wrestling background, I’m most dangerous on the ground right now. But I believe my strongest asset is the pressure I put on my opponents. I like to keep coming forward, making my opponents break mentally.

MMAOrient: Your last fight with MAD Dog at DARE. Take us through that fight.

Striegl:

My last fight was at the highest I ever fought – 160 lbs. It was nice that I didn’t have to diet this time around, but fighting at 160 won’t be a regular thing. The DARE experience was great and it was nice to spend some time in Thailand again.

MMAOrient: Looking ahead to URCC 21, you’ll be fighting Alcer Lozada. What do you know about him?

Striegl:

Not very much to be honest. From the pictures I’ve seen of him, he looks like a strong guy.

MMAOrient: He’s coming off a very humbling loss in the hands of the current URCC lightweight champion and you’re coming off an impressive win. Do you think that will playing into the fight at all?

Streigl:

It’s often said that you’re only as good as your last fight. I think that he will come at me with everything he’s got and fight like he’s got something to prove.

MMAOrient:  How are you preparing for this fight on short notice?

Streigl:

My good friend and teammate Will “The Kill” Chope is also fighting on this card against Angelito Manguray. So I’ve already been training hard and helping him prepare for that. I will be ready.

MMAOrient: Without giving your entire gameplan away, how would you win this fight ideally?

Streigl:

Ideally, I would win by knockout or submission in the first 10 seconds.(Laughs) I doubt it will be that easy though.

MMAOrient: If you had to give last words to Alcer before this fight, is there anything you would you like to tell him?

Streigl:

I got nothing to say.

MMAOrient: What’s next for you after this fight?

Streigl:

An ice cold beer and a big box of pizza.

MMAOrient: Any last words or words of thanks before URCC 21?

Striegl:

I would like to thank everyone who has been supporting me thus far. Thank you. Oh! and one last thing…Team Buffet!

URCC 21: WARPATH TV Commercial

Bakbakan Na! Get your tickets now for URCC 21: WARPATH!

Follow Mark Striegl on Facebook and Twitter: http://www.facebook.com/markmugen and @MarkMugen

Follow me on Twitter: @zikey09

Gods FC: Team Singapore Vs. Team Kuala Lumpur Undercard Fights announced and it looks like it is going to be a remarkable one!

GODS FC is ready to make its inaugural show on April 14th in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with some of the best local fighters in the area.

Gods Fighting Championship is brand new league fighting organization. This is the first organization of its kind in Asian MMA history.

The 1st season of Gods FC will be an 8 Team Tournament to see which team is the best team in Asian MMA. Teams will be from 8 Cities across Asia;

Team Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Team Singapore, Singapore
Team Baguio, Philippines
Team Jakarta, Indonesia
Team Taipei, Taiwan
Team Hong Kong,
Team Phuket, Thailand
Team Ubon, Thailand

It will be a single elimination tournament and the first event will take place in Kuala Lumpur at OverTime Rivercity Jln Ipoh on April 14th.

Team Singapore looks to invade Malaysia and take on Team Kuala Lumpur on their home turf. Team KL will have to train hard and make sure they fight hard so they can win in front of their home crowd.

Each team will have 5 Fighters. Whichever team has the most wins will advance to the next round of the tournament. The first event will also have a stacked undercard with the best Malaysian Mixed Martial Artists fighting on the event as well as local KL Expat Fighters fighting also.

Fighters from Johor, Penang, and KL all looking to make their names so they can further their fight careers.
Gods FC promise an action packed night full of great fights, drinks, and gorgeous ring girls.

Be there to see the most stacked Mixed Martial Arts Fight event to ever hit Malaysian Shores.

Under Card Fights:

*Team Singapore Vs. Team Kuala Lumpur match ups are not included on this list.

Umutbek Malikov vs Allamurad Karayev – 57kg
David Khoo vs Antonio Graceffo – 84kg
Syed Izmer vs Julius King – 66kg
Muhd Hazrul vs Luc Rousseau – 84kg
Leon Low vs Shodiyor Djurabekov – 57kg
Teh Kah Wei vs Yalkun Avvaydulayev – 80kg
Nik Harris vs Gary Maclay – 80kg
Sam Chan vs Hanif Zainal -70kg

GODS FC’s matchmaker, Will “The Kill” Chope said that the team fights will be announced this week and the fans will surely enjoy their first event.

“Fans can expect the most exciting MMA card to ever come to malaysia. This card is stacked with locals and local expat fighters. Gods FC first show Team Kuala Lumpur vs Team Singapore , two big rivals will clash for the first season of the 8 team tournament. Fighters are putting it all on the line, for if their team don’t win you will not see them again until the next season.”

Looks like it is going to be a bad ass night in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

You can pre-buy tickets for Gods FC at MuayFit Gym in KL. Tickets will go on sale this week. Check out https://www.facebook.com/Gods.Fighting.Championship to get the latest updates.

French Phenom Arnaud Lepont Overcomes Unbeaten Krzysztof Hajtalowicz at DARE Championship 2/12

DARE Championship, Thailand’s only professional mixed martial arts organization, was formed last year and is already going from strength to strength. The card for the fourth event, held at Insomnia Night Club in Bangkok,  was the best to date featuring 14 fighters from the region all of whom had professional experience and headlined by the historic clash between Arnaud Lepont and Krzysztof Hajtalowicz.

Both Lepont and Hajtalowicz are long term residents of Thailand, although the Frenchman recently moved to Malaysia to join the team of Muayfit. Hajtalowicz, from Poland, booked his spot in the quarter finals of the DARE welterweight tournament courtesy of a second round submission win over Wiktor Svensson while Lepont got past Jian Kai Chee.

The fight between the two was the most eagerly anticipated MMA match ever held in Thailand and a capacity crowd gathered at the Insomnia Night Club to see which of these two warriors would book their spot in the semi finals and take a step closer to winning the $125,000 USD prize money.

Loud music and lasers were the order of the day as the fans were treated to the sort of intense audio visual experience which they have come to associate with DARE. Hajtalowicz has won numerous BJJ competitions and is renowned for his ground game while Lepont has more experience in the cage and has a reputation as being an extremely aggressive fighter.

The Frenchman landed a couple of hooks early in the fight and Hajtalowicz ended up on his back with Lepont doing some damage from within his guard. However the Polish fighter was extremely active and after multiple submission attempts was able to reverse the position.

Lepont looked a little uncomfortable and ate a few hard shots but was able to survive strikes and submissions and work his way to his feet. Hajtalowicz obviously had a gameplan and used his superior height to clinch and land a series of devastating knees some of which connected clean with the face of the French fighter.

It appeared that the Polish submission specialist was getting the better of the stand up exchanges as he clasped his hands around his opponent’s neck and dominated him in the clinch, landing shots which seemed to leave Lepont on wobbly legs.

A Hajtalowicz win seemed inevitable at this stage but just when Lepont looked a spent force he was able to somehow sink in a standing guillotine choke while defending a takedown. The fight veered spectacularly, as only an MMA contest can, mere seconds after he had seemed to be firmly in the driving seat Hajtalowicz found himself forced to tap as Lepont pulled guard and squeezed for all he was worth.

Arnaud Lepont celebrates his come from behind win against Krzysztof Hajtalowicz

It was an incredible come from behind performance which saw Lepont pull out the guillotine from nowhere just as he appeared to be on the brink of defeat. With his fifth consecutive win the French fighter improved to 8-1 and progressed to the semi finals, sending out the following warning,

“I will never give up and as long as I am alive the fight is never over because I am prepared to die in the cage. I knew I was losing the round but I was patient and waited for my opportunity. People think he is going to beat me because he is good on the ground but it is not Ju Jitsu it is MMA. He was very strong in the clinch, I didn’t think he would have the balls to strike with me but he did. This is my last fight as a welterweight, it is not my natural weight and after this I will be dropping to 155 lbs.”

Also celebrating was up and coming Thai fighter Shannon Wiratchai who is winning himself a lot of fans with his fun fighting style and willingness to adapt and learn the MMA game. He took on TDR Panjabutra who was looking for a little vengeance after Wiratchai defeated his brother at DARE 2/11.

Wiratchai was appearing in the cage for only the second time but already has a significant fan following in Thailand. He made a slow start not really coming to life until the closing seconds of the opening round when he launched a flurry of punches and kicks.

The second round was a different story as Wiratchai landed a couple of perfectly timed counter hooks which rocked Panjabutra and allowed him to take the fight to the floor. From there he was able to work diligently to take his opponent’s back and sink in a rear naked choke which forced the tap.

The win saw Wiratchai progress to the semi finals of the featherweight tournament and put him two victories away from the $125,000 prize money. The other five fights where all in the opening round and saw five more fighters book quarter final spots.

Mark Striegl is one of the most exciting young fighters in the region and the 23 year old Filipino showed why he is so highly rated by dominating Marko Huusansaari. The tenacious Finnish fighter showed off a sophisticated submission defence to survive an opening round which he spent almost entirely on his back but in round two he was finally forced to tap to a modified arm bar.

Striegl’s friend and training partner Will Chope was fortunate to have been allowed to fight after missing weight by almost 5 kgs. In the end he was able to submit Saengchot Parkaiphet with a rear naked choke in the opening round and afterwards, to his credit, apologized profusely for his struggles with the scales.

American Will Chope locks in a guillotine choke against Thai fighter Saengchot Parkaiphet

The rematch between Bruce Loh and Shodiyor Jurabekov ended in disappointment as Loh was unable to continue after damaging his hamstring after some exciting early exchanges. Alexandro Machado was outpowered by Kristoff Petersson who stopped him with strikes in round two while Dan Kerr was submitted by the significantly larger Andre Marcolla.

Results:

Shodiyor Jurabekov defeated Loh Kainkai via TKO (injury)

Will TheKill Chope defeated Saengchot Parkaiphet via submission (rear naked choke)

Shannon Wiratchai defeated Tondamrong Panjabutra via submission (rear naked choke)

Kristoffer Persson defeated Alexandro Machado via TKO (strikes)

Mark Striegl defeated Marko Huusansaari via submission (modified armbar)

Andre Marcolla defeated Daniel Kerr via submission (armbar)

Arnaud Lepont defeated Krzysztof Hajtalowicz via submission (guillotine choke)

For more information about DARE Championship visit: www.darefightsports.com.

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